Owners of some of the UK’s most powerful and prestigious cars are facing a sharp rise in first-year road tax, with the £5,690 VED charge set to apply to nearly 60 models from April 2026 as part of a widening clampdown on high-emission vehicles.
The increase affects cars producing more than 255 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre and marks the latest step in a steep escalation of first-year Vehicle Excise Duty for petrol and diesel models. The charge has risen by £200 from the current £5,490, itself introduced only last year.
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A growing bill at the point of purchase
First-year VED is paid when a new car is registered, before dropping to the standard annual rate in subsequent years. Ministers argue the system is designed to send a clear price signal at the point of purchase, discouraging the sale of the most polluting vehicles.
For comparison, cars with zero emissions attract a first-year rate of just £10. Even a vehicle emitting 1g/km now faces a £110 charge. By contrast, an average petrol car emitting around 143g/km will cost £560 in its first year, while a typical diesel emitting 164g/km will incur £1,360.
Electric vehicles are no longer exempt. From April 2025, they too began paying VED for the first time, and a separate pay-per-mile scheme is due to follow from 2028, reshaping the cost of ownership across the market.
Luxury and utility vehicles both affected
The models caught by the top band range from high-end performance cars to large SUVs and commercial pick-ups, underlining how emissions rather than price now dictate tax liability.
Brands such as Aston Martin, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Bentley, Porsche and Rolls-Royce feature heavily on the list, alongside popular workhorses including the Ford Ranger, Toyota Hilux and Volkswagen Amarok.
For drivers who already own registered vehicles, the impact is less severe but still noticeable. The standard annual VED rate from the second year onwards will rise from £195 to £200.
The government has said the changes are intended to align motoring taxes more closely with environmental impact. Full details of current and future Vehicle Excise Duty bands are set out on the official Vehicle Excise Duty rates page.
The cars affected
The following models will attract the £5,690 first-year VED charge, listed alphabetically:
- Alfa Romeo Stelvio 2.9 V6 Bi-Turbo
- Aston Martin DB12 4.0 V8
- Aston Martin DBX 4.0 V8
- Aston Martin Vantage 4.0 V8
- Audi R8 5.2 FSI V10
- Audi RS6 4.0 TFSI V8
- Audi RS7 4.0 TFSI V8
- Audi RSQ8 4.0 TFSI V8
- Audi S8 4.0 TFSI V8
- Audi SQ7 4.0 TFSI V8
- Audi SQ8 4.0 TFSI V8
- Bentley Bentayga 4.0 V8
- Bentley Continental 4.0 V8
- Bentley Continental 6.0 W12
- Bentley Flying Spur 4.0 V8
- BMW Alpina XB7 4.4 V8
- BMW M8 4.4 V8
- BMW X5 M 4.4 V8
- BMW X6 M 4.4 V8
- BMW X7 M 4.4 V8
- Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 6.2 V8
- Ferrari Purosangue 6.5 V12
- Ferrari Roma 3.8T V8
- Ford Mustang 5.0 V8
- Ford Ranger 2.0 TD EcoBlue
- Ford Ranger 3.0 EcoBlue
- Ford Ranger 3.0 V6
- INEOS Grenadier 3.0P
- Jaguar F-Pace 5.0 P575 V8
- Jeep Wrangler 2.0 GME
- Lamborghini Huracan 5.2 V10
- Lamborghini Revuelto 6.5 V12
- Lamborghini Urus 4.0 V8 BiTurbo
- Land Rover Defender 90 5.0 P425 V8
- Land Rover Defender 110 5.0 P425 V8
- Lotus Emira 3.5 V6
- Maserati Levante 3.0 V6
- Maserati Levante 3.8 V8
- Maserati MC20 3.0 V6
- McLaren GT 4.0T V8
- Mercedes-Benz AMG GT 4.0 V8
- Mercedes-Benz G400D
- Mercedes-Benz G63
- Mercedes-Benz GLC63
- Mercedes-Benz GLE63
- Mercedes-Benz GLS63h
- Mercedes-Benz SL55
- Porsche 718 Cayman 4.0 GT4
- Porsche 911 3.7T 992 Turbo
- Porsche Cayenne 4.0T V8
- Porsche Macan 2.9T V6
- Range Rover 4.4 P530 V8
- Range Rover 4.4 P615 V8
- Range Rover Sport 4.4P V8
- Rolls-Royce Cullinan 6.75 V12
- Rolls-Royce Ghost 6.75 V12
- Toyota Hilux 2.8D
- Toyota Land Cruiser 2.8D
- Volkswagen Amarok 3.0 TDI
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